Guard-rail brace.



E. R. WILLIAMS.

GUARD RAIL BRACE. APPLICATION FflLED DEC. 6. 1916.

1 ,21 9,6 1 2. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

ELISHA READ WILLIAMS, F ALTHEIMER, ARKANSAS.

GUARD-RAIL BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 1112M. 2o, rein Application filed December 6, 1916. Serial No. 135,428.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Emsnn READ IL- nuars, a citizen of the United States, residing i' rltheimer, in the countyv of Jelferson and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Guard-Rail Brace, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted to be applied to main and guard rails adjacent a frog point for the purpose of holding the main rails against relative movement with. respect to each other and with respect to the frog point, and for the purpose of holding the guard rails properly positioned with respect to the main rails.

With the above and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmental longitudinal section illustrating the device forming the subject matter of this application, parts ap pearing in elevation;

Fig. is a top plan of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan showing one end of the tie member; and

Fig. 1 is a section 011 the line 1 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a tie member 1, preferably in the form of a metal plate. The tie member 1 is providcd at its ends with duplicate mechanisms, and since these mechanisms are alike, but one of them has been shown in the drawings. The part 1 is called a tie member because it holds against relative lateral movement, the guard rails, and the main line rails on opposite sides of the frog point, and not because it exercises the function of a. common railroad tie or sleeper in support ing the rails. It is understood that the rails are supported in the usual manner, on ties of the common sort, although no such ties are shown in the drawings.

The tie member 1 is provided with an elongated slot 2, the ends of which are inolined to form seats 3. Resting on the tie member 1 is a main line rail 1 including a ball 5, a web and a flange 7. Super-posed on the tie member 1 is a guard rail 8 including a ball 9, a web 10 and a flange 11.

The invention comprises a pair of holding elements 12 and 1a. The holding elements 12 and 1% pass through the slot 2 in the tie memberl. The holding elements 12 and 1 1, include, each, a shank 16 and a head 17. The heads 17 preferably have a greater cross section than do the shanks 16. The heads 17 overhang the outer portions of the flanges 7 and 11 of the rails, and bear terminally against the webs 6 and 10 of the rails. The shank 16 of the holding member let is bifurcated to form ears 18, and the shank 16 of the holding member 12 terminates in a tongue 19 received between the cars 18. A pivot element 20 unites the tongue 19 and the ears 18, the shanks 16 of the holding elements extending well below the tie mem her 1. A wedge 21 bears against the outer edge of the shank 16 of the holding element 12 and engages one of the seats 3, the shank 16 of the holding element 1 1 being engaged with the other seat 3. The wedge 21 has a plurality of openings 22. Through any of these openings 22 may be inserted a pin 23 which, bearing against the under face of the tie member 1 prevents a withdrawal of the wedge 21, the heads 17 of the holding elements 12 and 1 1 thus being maintained in proper bearing relation on the outer faces of the webs 6 and 10 of the rails.

A top plate 25 is superposed on the inner portions 01": the flanges 7 and 11 of the rails and substantially fills the space between the webs 6 and 10 of the rails. A bottom plate 26 bears on the lower face of the tie member 1 and extends across the slot 2. EX- tended through the plates 25 and 26 is a bolt 27. The head 28 of the bolt bears on the top plate 25. Threaded onto the lower end of the bolt 27 is a nut 29 which bears on the bottom plate 26. A pin 30 may be inserted through the lower end of the bolt 27 to prevent the nut 29 from being detached.

ecalling that, in practice, both ends of the tie member 1 are equipped with such a structure as that delineated in Fig. 1, it will be understood that the guard rails and the main line rails on opposite sides of a frog point will be prevented from spreading and, further, the construction of the device is such that the guard rails and the main line rails will be prevented from moving with respect to each other in a transverse direction.

Having thus described the invention, what claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a tie member; a main rail and a guard rail sup ported thereon; holding elements passing through the tie member and bearing on the outer sides of the rails; means for pivotally uniting the holding elements below the tie member; and clamping means engaging the inner edges of the base flanges 01 the rails, and the tie member.

2. In a device of the class described, a tie member having a slot; a main rail and a guard rail supported on the tie member; holding elements passing through the slot and coacting with the outer sides of the rails; means for pivotally uniting the holding elements below the tie member; clamping means passing through the slot and engaging the inner edges of the base flanges of the rails and the tie member; and a tightening element interposed between one hold- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Washington, 1). 0.

ing element and the tie member at one end of the slot.

3. In a device of the class described, a tie member having a slot; a main rail and a guard rail supported on the tie member; holding elements each comprising a shank and an angularly disposed head, the shanks of the holding elements passing through the slot, and the heads of the holding elements bearing against the outer sides of the rails; a wedge interposed between one holding element and the tie member at one end of the slot; means for pivotally connecting the holding elements below the tie member; a top plate engaging the base flanges of the rails; a bottom plate extended across the slot and engaging the lower face of the tie member; and a connection uniting the plates, the connection passing through the slot.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELISHA READ l/VILLIAMS. /Vitnesses:

J. P. PLUMMER,

L. D. HARDIMAN.

latent:a 

